Chicago Woman Challenges CPD After Four-Hour Response Delay Following Assault

A 19-year-old woman in Chicago’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood is questioning why it took police more than four hours to respond to her calls following a violent home invasion and sexual assault, ABC7 Chicago reported.

The survivor, identified only by her first name, Yizel, described a harrowing ordeal where an intruder entered her home and forced her into a bathroom at gunpoint. During the attack, the man reportedly told her not to scream or yell, ABC7 Chicago reported.

Following the assault, Yizel took steps to preserve forensic evidence. She said the attacker told her to shower, but she instead turned the showerhead away from herself to ensure she did not wash away potential DNA or other physical proof, according to ABC7 Chicago.

Home invasion, sex assault survivor says it took CPD 4 hours to arrive

The delay in police arrival has become the central focus of Yizel’s pursuit of justice. While EMS arrived at the scene, she said it was more than four hours before a Chicago police officer arrived to speak with her, ABC7 Chicago reported.

Yizel noted that multiple people attempted to secure help, including her mother, her fiancé, and her landlord, all of whom called 911. “It should not take you four-plus hours to reach me. It should have never taken anybody that long,” Yizel said, according to ABC7 Chicago.

Chicago circa april chicago police department vehicle cpd is the second largest municipal police department in the united sta

The incident also involved the theft of Yizel’s phone and bag. Her family was able to track the stolen phone to a nearby park less than an hour after the attack occurred. Her landlord went to that location and believed he spotted the suspect, ABC7 Chicago reported.

Despite these reports, Yizel said police did not come to investigate the location where the suspect was believed to be. “If CPD would have shown up sooner, they would have able to catch the guy,” Yizel said, according to ABC7 Chicago.

Yizel is now pursuing legal action against the Chicago Police Department. She said her goal is twofold: identifying the individual responsible for the assault and determining why the police response was so delayed.

Home invasion, sex assault survivor says it took CPD 4 hours to arrive: 'I did not feel protected'

“I did not feel protected, I did not feel important. I did not feel like I was being seen or heard,” Yizel said, according to ABC7 Chicago.

She expressed a desire to share her experience to prevent other survivors from facing similar systemic delays. “I hope that in the future, God forbid, this happens again to anybody, male or female, they or them, you’d take it as a top-notch priority and you take it seriously,” Yizel said, according to ABC7 Chicago.

Chicago police did not comment on the specific timeline Yizel described, but the department stated that detectives are continuing to investigate the case, ABC7 Chicago reported.

Yizel and her family are currently in the process of seeking legal representation regarding their plans to sue the department.

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